A Bit of Getting Used To
by CapNap
Summary: S.H.I.E.L.D. thinks it too dangerous for the Avengers to live separately on their off-time so they are all moved into Stark Tower. With all the Avengers living together, though, shenanigens will be sure to ensue.
1. Midnight Snack

**A/N: Welcome to the Stark Tower, the new residence for all things Avengers. This is where they have been ordered to stay. Each chapter will be a new situation featuring either one (this amount will probably rarely happen) up to all of the characters. **

The alarm clock on his bedside table glowed _1:31 a.m._

Tony Stark groaned and flipped over once more in a vain attempt to fall asleep. He'd been tossing and turning since he went to bed. No position seemed comfortable enough to stay in and just when he found one more suitable than the last the pillow needed to be turned or the bedding was in annoying wads around his feet. He could never sleep well when Pepper wasn't home. He always felt so alone in the large bed when he was the only one in it.

_I'll be at this all night_, he thought. Tony sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. Breathing a deep sigh, he ran his hands through his already unruly hair contemplating whether to put pants- or anything- on before he left the privacy of his own room. He decided against it, assuming that no one in their right minds would be up at this hour anyway.

Tony peeked out into the corridor, just to check to make sure everything was silent on the floor. When he decided the coast was clear, he maneuvered his way down the hall in the dark, trying not to trip on anything. Pepper had insisted on putting little tables with vases or other sculptures at random intervals down the length of the hall. She had said it would "brighten the dull interior". He cursed under his breath as he stubbed his toe on the third table. That "dull interior" was fine with him if it meant that he didn't have to navigate his way around his own house.

He'd made it to the living room without sustaining any severe injuries and quietly padded into the kitchen. The motion lights flicked on as soon as he stepped into the room. Tony's hand flew up to cover his eyes from the blinding light.

"Jarvis!" he hissed, trying not to be too loud.

"Sorry, sir!" The voice seemed to boom about the house.

"Shhh!" he warned, waving his free hand up and down.

"Sorry, sir..." Jarvis lowered its voice considerably. "What can I do for you? Pants, perhaps?" Tony rolled his eyes.

"No," he spat. "Just dim the lights please. We don't want to wake anyone up." What he really meant was that he didn't want anyone to come in and see him in his current, naked, state.

"Yes, sir. No problem." The lights dimmed and he lowered his hand cautiously. He moved to the coffee pot and went through the motions of putting a brew on. Once he finished, he drummed his fingers on the counter, pondering what else he wanted. He was a sucker for midnight snacks, _especially _when Pepper wasn't home. Moving the the frigde, he peered inside, hoping to find some treasure that may have materialized while he wasn't looking.

"Stark?" Tony's eyes grew wide as he realized he was no longer alone. He slowly closed the refrigerator door and looked up to see Thor standing in the kitchen as well, wearing only his boxers. Tony tried to think of something witty to say, but his mind drew a blank.

"Thor..." was what he managed. He hoped in the back of his mind that the god would take the hint from his unexpected awkwardness and leave, but his hopes were completely dashed as Thor moved forward and clapped a hand on Tony's bare shoulder.

"What keeps you up at this time of night? Does something trouble you?" Thor looked deeply into Tony's eyes as he waited for an answer. He seemed not to have noticed that Tony was butt-naked and he was barely dressed as well.

_He either doesn't notice, or it doesn't bother him,_ Tony thought. He couldn't figure out which one was worse.

"No," he said, shrugging out from under Thor's hand. Not many things made him feel awkward, but being alone in a semi-lit kitchen at 1:30 in the morning with a half-dressed man- god- that seemed to pay no regard to the fact that he himself was fully naked set him over his allowed limit for awkward situations.

"Are you sure?" Thor followed him to the coffee pot, never taking his eyes off of Tony's face. Tony began to pour himself a cup and seriously considered putting alcohol in it.

"Yes. I'm positive," he said quickly. He wasn't about to spill his guts about how much he loved and missed his girlfriend.

"Well..." Thor looked at him skeptically. "Alright. I suppose-" They both turned their heads at the sound of footsteps outside the kitchen. A tired-looking Steve Rogers rounded the corner, yawning and rubbing his closed eyes. He reached out, aimlessly, with one hand, and made an upward motion obviously still not used to the fact that there wasn't a light switch in the building.

"What's going on in here...OH," he dropped both hands to his side as he processed the situation in front of him. His whole face flushed a bright red, and he averted his eyes. "I...uh...was..." he stuttered. He tried to make up an excuse for coming into the kitchen. His eyes danced around the room but refused to look in Tony and Thor's direction. "I'm sorry. I didn't...know...uhh...I didn't think...I was..." he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "_Interrupting_."

"Calm down, Captain. Nothing's happening," Tony inched around Thor so that they weren't so close. Nonetheless, Thor moved with him, placing his hand back on his shoulder.

"Does something trouble you as well, Steve? I was simply asking Tony what was troubling his mind for him to be up at this hour," Thor looked innocently at Steve, still failing to see what was wrong with their situation.

"Yeah, we were just about to sit down and share our deepest, darkest secrets. Then, maybe have a pillow fight and gossip about _boys_. Wanna come?" Tony said with his usual, Stark-Attitude. Steve's face immediately flared red again and Tony had to fight the urge to laugh at him. It was so easy to make this guy uncomfortable and he made it is personal mission to do it every chance he got.

"I...uh...What?" Steve was still trying to process what was happening when two more sets of footsteps came from the other entrance to the kitchen. Clint and Bruce stood in the doorway behind them and all three men craned their necks to see them enter. Bruce looked at Thor, followed his hand to Tony's shoulder, then glanced back to Steve, obviously trying to avoid looking at Tony's bare butt. Clint simply looked in once, took everything in, and burst out laughing. He doubled over and had to lean against the door frame for support. His laughs echoed in the silence that flooded the entire building. Every time he would start to compose himself, he would glance up and that was all he needed to send him flying into another stint of girlish giggles.

"I really don't even want to know what's happening here," Bruce finally said over Clint's laughter.

"It really isn't what it looks like..." Tony started. He began to turn around, but Bruce held up his hand.

"For the love of all things good in this universe, do _not_ turn around. I will not be held accountable for what would happen if you did." Tony obeyed, silently thanking him for being the only sane one out of the lot.

"Like, I was saying, it really isn't what it looks like," he repeated.

"Oh?"

"Yes. But, out of complete curiosity, what _does_ it look like?"

"Honestly? It looks like you and Thor were..." Bruce cleared his throat and waved his hand in a "you-know-what-I-mean" gesture. "...doing..."

"Something _naughty_," Clint supplied through laughs. Bruce rolled his eyes and continued.

"Then Steve walked in...or was there from the beginning, I really don't know, and is just more embarrassed then you two. But, that's what it _looks _like."

"Well, Bruce, you hit the nail on the head. That's _exactly_ what we were doing. And, you know what? It was all Cap's idea," Tony said, trying to keep his voice steady. Every head in the room turned and stared at him. Steve became more flustered than before (if that was even possible).

"What?" he shouted, his eyes wide with horror. Thor simply looked at him with a confused face.

"Oh dear Lord..." Bruce was about to turn around and walk back to his room, but Tony spoke before he could get anywhere.

"I was _kidding_! Geeze, take a joke."

"Oh, thank God," Bruce rubbed his eyes. It was _definitely _too early for this amount of crazy.

"I was in here first. Since its two o-clock in the morning, I figured no one would be awake and I didn't put any pants on. Then Mr. Asgard over here, decided to join me."

"I simply came in to see what was wrong," Thor interjected.

"In your underwear?"

"I must point out that you came in here with _no _clothes on."

"Old habits die hard." Thor gave him a strange look at the use of the phrase.

"Then, he got all touchy-feely and Cap decided that was his cue to enter." Tony turned his head to Steve. "Not a good cue." Steve looked at the ground and shook his head slightly.

"Then you guys walked in. Like I said before, nothing was happening." There was a long silence while the two men in the doorway soaked up the information. Bruce turned away from the door.

"I'm going back to bed. Stark, all I'm saying is that when I get up in the morning you had _better _have pants on."

"Will do."

"Well, I'm leaving too. Fun's over. Thanks for the midnight laughs," Clint gave a joking wave and turned. No sooner did he get out the door did he bump into a half-awake Natasha.

"Whasgoinon?" she slurred.

"Trust me, you don't want to go in there. We'll fill you in in the morning."

"I'll just...be going now," Steve said quickly and all but ran from the kitchen.

"Are you sure nothing is bothering you?"

"Yes," Tony rolled his eyes.

"Would you confide in me if there was?"

"No. Probably not." Thor looked a bit taken aback by the abrupt answer.

"Alright, then. Until the morning, Tony."

Tony was alone in the kitchen once again. He reached for his coffee but realized it had already turned luke-warm. Grumbling, he poured it down the sink and waved for Jarvis to shut the light.

It's gonna take a _lot _of getting used to with this new living arrangement, Tony thought.

**A/N 2: So, this is my new work in progress! I think its gonna be a ton of fun to write. BUT! I need your help! If you have funny (or serious) situations that you want me to write a chapter for, PM it to me (don't comment it! We want it to be a surprize!) Thanks so much and you know the drill. Reviews are lovely!**


	2. Bluffing

**A/N: Thanks to Ktsteele for this idea! I have a ton more ideas to work on, but I'm always open to yours. This chapter is a bit of a...more...well there's more feels in it. (: Not too many, I don't think, but a proper balance. Reviews make me happy. (:**

The Avengers sat around the kitchen table. No words were spoken and they stared each other down. Everyone either held their cards in their hand, or kept them on the table. Silently, they all tried to read expressions and find the weakest one.

Bruce pushed a red chip into the middle of the table and sat back, waiting for everyone to either drop out or challenge him. Tony, Steve, Natasha and Clint threw in a chip simultaneously. Thor stared at his cards and slowly lowered them to the table. Tony, the "dealer" for the round, looked at him, slightly amused.

"In or out, big guy?"

"Um..." Thor furrowed his brow and pulled his cards up to look at them again. "I'm not sure yet." Clint tried to lean over to see what cards the god held in his hand, but Thor clutched them to his chest and glared at him." ARE YOU PLOTTING TO CHEAT, BARTONSON?" he thundered.

"Whoa, calm down. I was just trying to help, but since you think your such a big boy, you can figure it out by yourself," Clint said straightening himself in his chair.

"Make it fast," Tony said, now halfway between annoyed at the snail-like pace of the game and amused by the god's inability to understand the simple game.

"Don't rush me, I must choose carefully." The group collectively let out a sigh to which Thor pouted and slapped his cards on the table with a grumble. "Out."

"Alright, let's go, Starkson," Bruce said, mocking the Asgardian title. "Since we got the _inexperienced _out of the game, we can finally take off." Thor pouted more, and the rest of the group snickered. Tony smiled and went around flicking cards to those who needed one and skipping the one's who didn't one. Clint took a card on Tony's second round and threw his cards down.

"Twenty-two! I was so close! Thanks, _Tony_," he joined the sulking session that had already begun on the far side of the table. Natasha cursed under her breath. She had taken a third card that had put her over the limit as well.

"Bust," she growled.

"Alright...who thinks they got me?" Tony smiled slyly, drumming his fingers on the wooden table. Tony threw in a few more red chips. Bruce glanced over casually and threw in the same amount. Steve looked at his cards and nodded. He put his cards down and threw his chips into the middle. "Oh? So we got a few takers?" He smirked.

"Come on, Tony. That as high as you're going?" Bruce leaned back in his chair.

"Mm..." Tony mused, rubbing his stubbly chin. "I think, I'll throw a few more into the pot." He took three more red chips and tossed them to the center. Bruce pursed his lips and folded his cards.

"Out." Tony laughed and turned his eyes to Steve.

"You going out, too, Captain?" Steve lifted his eyes from his cards to meet Tony's, then glanced down at the pile.

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Is that all you're putting in?"

"Maybe."

"You know, Tony...that's a bit of a weak pot. Why don't we liven things a bit, no?" Steve gathered the same amount of red chips Tony threw in and added a blue chip to the small pile. Tony lifted his eyebrows.

"Never took you for the gambling type...but if that's how we're playing, then I won't show you any mercy."

"Mercy?"

"Yeah, mercy. I won't treat you like the little kid I know you are."

"Might I remind you, I could be your grandfather."

"You'd be a pretty kick-ass grandfather."

"I try, Mr. Stark. I try."

"No you don't."

"You're right. I don't, I'm just cooler than you on the whole. So, what are you doing?"

"Ha, you wish. I call, and raise." Tony threw in the call and flicked in another blue chip. Steve smirked.

"What?" Tony said.

"Nothing."

"No, you're obviously laughing at something."

"Nope, nothing."

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to."

"Tell me. Unless it will scar me in some way. In that case, keep it to yourself."

"Nothing...I just think it's funny how you think you're going to win this game."

"How I think? I _know_ I'm going to win this game."

"Whatever, Stark. Whatever you say." Steve just shook his head and threw in two more blue chips. Bruce let out a low whistle and Clint's eyes widened a bit. Thor looked at the plastic chips, desperately trying to figure out the game. Tony sucked in a breath; he wanted to fold, he knew he should fold, but he couldn't just let Steve win. He'd never live that down. He steeled his expression and threw in the call with another blue chip. Steve smiled again, glancing down at his cards then back up to Tony.

"You really think you can beat me?" he said.

"Yes," Tony lied.

"Alright, well...if you're that sure, then you won't mind if I put this into the pot," Steve held up a purple chip and tossed it in. The onlookers, besides Thor, glanced around at each other in disbelief. Tony sat back in his chair, trying to keep his poker face on.

"Nope, not at all," he said, swallowing hard.

"Tony, you look nervous."

"Nervous? Me? C'mon, Captain. You know me."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. I mean, you are my best friend." As soon as the words left his mouth, Steve's face burned a bright red and he dipped his head low, to try and hide from the stares he got.

"What?" Tony was about to brush it off as meaningless banter, but Steve's reaction proved the statement otherwise.

"Nothing," he said sharply.

"No, no," Tony said, putting his cards on the table, momentarily forgetting about their duel. "You said, I was your...friend. If I heard that correctly. Did I hear that correctly?"

"I do believe he said _best_ friend," Thor said. Steve had to fight the urge to punch him in the face.

"I...just..." he tried to think of a way to get out of what he'd just said, but came up short.

"_He _is your best friend?" Clint said, trying to hide the apparent glee in his voice.

"Shut up," Steve warned.

"No, please, I mean...seriously. _Him_? That's rich."

"Shut. Up. Barton." Steve said through gritted teeth.

"Geeze, to be friends with Tony Stark. You must not have had a good friend circle back in the day, man."

"You're right! I didn't. I barely had _any_ friends 'back in the day', okay? The only friends I really ever tried to have either died in the war or left me for something or someone better. It doesn't really matter anyway because any friends that I _did_ have are long gone now, so you can take your smug expression and stick it where the sun don't shine! So, yes, Tony Stark is my friend, and so are all of you whether you like it or not. You're the closest things I'll ever have to a family." Steve had his hands on the table and was yelling into Clint's face. Clint was stunned speechless and the rest of the group looked quite similar. He blinked a few times and looked at the faces around him. Realizing that he'd basically just spilled his guts all over the table for them to gawk at, he quickly withdrew from his defensive position. He had no desire to finish the game or to spend any more time in their company, so he took his two cards and flicked them to the table, face-up. Their faces showed a six of clubs and a two of hearts.

"I was bluffing anyway," he said, turning to leave. Once he was gone, the others simply sat in silence for a while.

"He's right, you know," Bruce was the first to speak. They all looked at him, knowing exactly what he meant. "None of us really came from a perfect background. None of us _really_ had many friends."

"...I did," Thor mumbled. Bruce glared at him.

"You have a brother that wants to destroy the Earth because he had a bit of an identity crisis and you got kicked out of your own world because you were being an ass," Bruce said, summing up the collective thought. Thor thought about this and then nodded in solemn agreement.

"I mean, we are kind of all we have." Once again they sat in silence, thinking over the words that had been said. They all knew Steve was right and in some way, his story applied to them all.

"I also believe that _you_," Bruce pointed to Clint. "Owe someone an apology."

"What?" Clint looked up at him.

"You heard me,"

"I-I'm..." Clint was about to protest, but he did feel a pang of guilt for how he treated Steve. "You're not my mother," was the best he could come up with instead.

"Nope. But, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to make me angry, either," Bruce said. He bid them goodnight and left the kitchen. The others left as well, and soon Tony was the only one left at the table. He mindlessly shuffled the deck of cards and thought about Steve's confession.

_ Best Friend? _He thought. _I've never been a best friend before. I've never had a best friend before either. The closest thing I've had to a best friend is Pepper. But, I don't think she counts. We sleep together, I think that puts us past the 'best-friend' limit. _

He wondered if this weird, but somewhat normal, confession would change anything in the tower. Everyone had become everyone else's best friend, or family, but would that change how they acted. He tried to imagine Clint not being a jerk to everyone, Natasha not silently judging their dumb actions, Steve not being the goody-two-shoes, Thor not being the hopelessly clueless god, and Bruce not being their mother. He laughed and shook his head.

Nothing was going to change. Tony was sure of it.


	3. Adventures in Shopping

**A/N: Hey you guys! I hope you're enjoying so far and I'm really happy I'm writing this. I'm having so much fun and I'm actually updating (semi) regularly, which is a first for me. Again, any ideas just PM me and review review REVIEW. I own nothing (I wasn't sure if I put that anywhere, so I'm stating it now) and on with the next chapter! I think this one came out pretty good and it's fairly long...so enjoy!**

"Alright, anyone else need anything at the store?" Tony shouted in hopes that someone would hear him.

"Why? Is mommy going shopping?" Clint said, a mouthful of Captain Crunch slurring his speech. He and Steve came out of the kitchen, each with a heavily loaded bowl in hand.

"No, but I need some stuff, and I figured everyone else probably does too," Tony said, placing a lined piece of paper and a pen on the coffee table.

"Tony being...considerate?" Clint glanced over his shoulder at Steve. "Who knew?"

"Ah-ha. You're hilarious."

"Wait," Steve said, respectfully waiting until he had swallowed his mouthful of cereal before continuing. "You said you _aren't_ going to the store?"

"Nope. I have way too many things to do around here."

"Oh, you mean the casual _dates _you and Banner have in the lab?" Clint snickered into his bowl.

"Well, thanks for volunteering, Clint."

"What?" He looked at Tony, confused. Tony turned to Steve.

"Clint's going to go to the store."

"What?" Clint sputtered.

"Yeah. I was going to find someone who actually _wanted_ to go, but since you decided to be clever with me this morning, _you_ can go."

"Ah-ha," Steve laughed, pointing at Clint with his spoon.

"You can keep him company, Cap."

"What?" Steve stared at Tony. "Why?"

"You're here."

"But-"

"No buts." Steve grumbled and glared at Clint. Tony smirked. "Have fun, you two." He turned away and left them with the list.

"I'll drive?" Steve said, shrugging. Clint huffed and stomped off to get his keys and jacket.

"This is your car?" Steve said, admiring the sleek, black design. He may not have been around to see the evolution of the car, but this was proof that they had aged _very _well.

"Well, not technically. But, I'm the only one that uses it. So...It's basically mine." Clint nodded. The car was a beauty. He had to admit it, Fury had a very nice taste in vehicles. The car was black with tinted windows. It had a sporty frame and rode low to the ground. It wasn't the most inconspicuous car, but it sure was fun to ride around in. "You're driving?"

"If you'll let me."

"Why wouldn't I let you?"

Steve shrugged. "You just seem like the type of guy that's in love with his car."

"I am." Clint said, smirking devilishly. "But, like I said, this isn't my car. I don't have to pay for it, and we have a ton more where this came from. I've come to the conclusion that S.H.I.E.L.D. is like a fairy. Ask and you shall receive." He tossed the keys over the hood to Steve who caught them in one hand.

"This is going to be fun." Steve smiled as he slid into the driver's seat. His right hand immediately went to grab the stick shift, but he was surprised to find nothing but the middle console in it's place. He looked on the side of the wheel, remembering that in some cars the stick wasn't in the usual spot, but when he reached up, there was nothing there either.

"What're you looking for, Cap?"

"The stick. It's gotta be here somewhere..." he trailed off, still looking, but not entirely sure where to look. When Clint laughed he looked to the passenger seat.

"This is an automatic. I forgot you didn't have those back then."

"Automatic?"

"Yeah, you just drive. No need to shift manually. The car does it for you."

"What?"

"Sweet, huh? You just missed it, too. It came out in the fifties."

"The car shifts gears...by itself?" Steve questioned, still trying to wrap his brain around it.

"Yeah. You should see the kinds of things they have in cars now. It's pretty sick. I'd have never pegged you for a car man, though."

"Oh, I love cars. And this one..." Steve adjusted in the seat, grabbed the wheel, and leaned his head back. "This one is _nice_."

"You bet. Wait until you get 'er on the road. She purrs." Clint smiled and nodded to the keys. "Start 'er up."

"Oh, boy. I forgot how much I missed driving." Steve slid the keys in the ignition and inhaled as the engine growled to life. He smiled wide and turned to look at Clint.

"This isn't a slow-riding car, though, Grandpa. You gotta treat her right."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll take care of that." Steve drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and put the car into drive.

By the time they pulled into the store's parking lot, Clint had just about peed in his pants. Driving with Steve was like riding a roller coaster. He wasn't lying when he said he liked to drive fast. Once the car had come to a complete stop in the lot, Clint flung open his door, and practically jumped out. He put his hands on the low roof and let his head hang. In the twenty minutes it took to get from the Stark Tower to the store, Clint's life flashed before his eyes at least twenty times. Besides the fact that Steve liked to drive fast, he was also subject to city driving, which Clint found life-threatening with a tame driver.

"I wasn't aware that the yellow light meant speed up back in the forties. That's changed now, it means SLOW DOWN. It means there may be lanes of traffic speeding at you if you don't stop by the time the light turns red." Clint took at deep breath and righted himself as Steve came around the back of the car.

"Are you saying I'm a bad driver?" Steve said mockingly.

"Yes, I am. I'm driving home, thank you very much. I don't trust you anymore."

"C'mon, Clint. You can't just let me drive in it once. Besides, this is the city. You can't go fast in the city."

"You seemed to have managed it pretty well."

"That? That wasn't fast. Did you see how high the speedometer goes? Can't wait to _actually_ drive a car like that." The glint in Steve's eye was unmistakable. It was like Clint just gave the keys to a liquor store to an alcoholic who'd stayed sober for a decade or two.

"Yeah, well, until then, you may not want to drive in the city. I thought we were going to die."

"Ahh," Steve waved his hand dismissively. "That's the fun part."

By now they had already crossed the parking lot and were making their way into the building. Clint took the list out of his pocket and stared at it while Steve gawked at the sheer size of the store. Shelves rose almost to the ceiling and ran on both sides of the warehouse-like layout.

"So...we need...uh...hm..." Clint studied the list and looked around debating on where to start. He wasn't trained in the art of shopping.

"How are we supposed to find anything in here?" Steve's eyes were wide.

"Seriously? I have no clue." After looking over the list once more, they decided to venture into the depths of the store.

"Dude...there's _signs_," Clint said, smacking Steve on the arm. "This makes things a lot easier. All we have to do is walk by each aisle and see if anything we need is on the list."

"Alright, well...let's get started."

Steve and Clint wondered around the store gathering the various items on the list. Halfway into their trip, they acquired a cart and threw all the previously collected things into the cart haphazardly. They continued with their search after much complaining from Clint that having the cart made them look like soccer moms. Steve almost forced him to push the cart, but in the end he was the one who stood behind it. Once, Clint helped a woman reach something on a high shelf. He pulled it down and gave the young woman a dashing smile.

"There you are, miss," he said smoothly.

"Thank you so much, sir. You are so sweet." The woman smiled brightly. She had long brown hair that fell in cascading waves across her shoulders. Clint had spotted her a few times as they shopped and found his perfect chance to flirt when they happened to be in the same aisle. He was just about to make a real move, but she spoke before he had the chance to.

"By the way, you and your boyfriend are so cute. I think it's adorable that you shop together," she smiled again, waved, and pushed her cart around the corner. Clint stood with his mouth open. It was worse than he thought. He turned to face Steve whose face was bright red.

"Let's go," Clint mumbled. He had almost been able to convince himself that shopping wasn't so bad.

"Well... I think we only have one more thing on the list, anyway," Steve said, holding the list out for him to see. Clint snatched the list away and looked all the way to the bottom. His face paled a bit and he swallowed hard. Steve read his expression and grew concerned. "What is it?"

"God, I hate Natasha sometimes..." he said through clenched jaws.

"Why? What did she write down?" Steve grabbed the list back and read the final item. He, too, paled and immediately became uncomfortable. "Um...Is that...?"

"Yes. It's what you think it is."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well..." Steve shifted uncomfortably. He still wasn't used to the idea of even speaking about such a topic. Back in his time, this was a forbidden subject.

"Oh, boy." They wheeled the cart to the proper aisle and stood at the end. Neither wanted to be the one to go down and grab the box of tampons. Finally, Steve spoke.

"Well, you're going to have to do it."

"What?" Clint raged. "Why?"

"Because! I don't know what they are, this isn't particularly something I know about. At all...actually."

"And you think I do?"

"More than me. And at least you know...what they look like." Clint sighed and groaned, knowing Steve was right.

"Sometimes I think it's funny that you don't know anything, but this is one of those times that you have it good."

"Me too. Wait...funny?"

"You owe me, man. Big time." Clint looked around, trying to see if anyone was going to see him. He steeled himself and began the longest walk of his life. He walked to the center of the aisle and quickly scanned the shelves for the right box. They each had different color schemes and words that made him want to gag. The longer he stayed there, the more he realized that he never would want to be a woman. Finally, Clint reached forward, pulled a box off, and did all he could not to run back to the cart. From five feet away, he threw the box on top of the other items like it was some contagious disease. Clint looked up at Steve with a disgusted expression.

"Never. Again." He said, wiping his hand on his jacket. "I never want to think of that again."

"Do I want to know?"

"All the boxes had phrases like...'for your heaviest days' or...'keeps you clean and dry'. Oh, my personal favorite was a box that was turned around. It had nice little diagrams that are now burned into my memory."

"...D-diagrams?"

"Oh, yeah. I won't tell you what of because I'm _that _nice of a person." Steve paled again, and shifted his weight. This was all too much for him.

"Can we...um..." he motioned toward the checkout.

"Yes," Clint answered quickly.

"They're back," Bruce said glancing out the window at the two. He watched with an amused grin on his face as they struggled to grab all the bags in one trip. Then, they attempted to shut the trunk, but since their hands were full Clint tried to use his foot, leg, and various other means without loosing his balance. "You guys, it's literally Dumb and Dumber out there." Steve watched Clint's methods for a minute then decided it would be easier just to put one bag down and shut it with his hand. Clint's pout was visible from twenty-three floors up. Bruce just laughed.

"You sure you were right in sending them?" Natasha said.

"Yeah, I mean, they couldn't have screwed up that bad," Tony said, shrugging.

"I just hope they got _everything_," she said, a smug smile forming at the corners of her mouth. Tony saw the mischievous glint in her eye.

"What did you put on that list?"

"Oh...just some...woman things," she said, waving her hand dismissively. Bruce cracked up.

"That is wicked," he said through laughs. She just shrugged.

"Wait...you mean..." Tony made some suggestive faces and waved his hand in Natasha's direction. She just nodded and Tony was sent into a fit of laughter as well.

"That is so classic. You sent Mr. Emotions and Captain Awkward out to get your female items? I can't wait to hear that story."

"That's just mean. _I_ wouldn't even want to do that. It's just humiliating," Bruce shook his head and smiled.

The elevator opened and the pair stepped out, bags all the way up each arm. They both walked a few steps into the room and dropped the bags onto the floor. The group tried to hide their entertainment.

"You're all terrible people. I hope you know that. Especially you," Clint pointed at Natasha. "I'm mentally scarred from that." He picked up a small bag and tossed it over to her.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

"I never want to go shopping again." Steve sat on the couch and closed his eyes.

"I hear you. Next time you want something, Stark, get it yourself."

"Oh, c'mon! You can't tell me you and Captain didn't have any fun," Tony laughed.

"Yes. Yes I can."

"It wasn't much fun. Not at all."

"Yeah, people thought we were a couple." At that, Bruce doubled over from laughter and Tony had to brace himself on the nearest wall. Natasha, too, was cracking up and all Steve and Clint could to was stare helplessly at them.

"That's cute," Bruce snickered.

"Shut up, Bruce," Steve glared.

"I hate all of you," Clint said, storming out of the living room with Steve right behind him leaving all of others to laugh at their expense.


	4. New Homes

**A/N: ATTENTION! To all my previous followers (and new readers :D ), I have finally decided to make this an actual story as opposed to a series of one-shots. I went back and forth, but when I came to write this chapter I realized what I want to do will be easier in multiple chapters, so I will just make this a full story. It really changes nothing. I just thought you...should know... ANYWAY. Enjoy and leave your comments! I'm always open to constructive critisism (and compliments as well.) Thank you!**

"You're what?" Clint raised his eyebrows.

"Going home," Thor announced excitedly.

"To Asgard?" Bruce asked. Thor looked at him quizzically.

"Yes, of course. Where else...?" Thor trailed off, thinking if there was another place he once called home.

"Nowhere, but..." This time it was Bruce's turn to trail off. No one in the room wanted to be the first to ask, but everyone wanted to know. "Are you..."

"Am I what, Banner-Son?" Thor asked, his blue eyes innocently questioning the doctor.

"Well..." Bruce cleared his throat and turned to look over his shoulder at the group for moral support. "Will you be coming back?"

Thor looked deep into the faces of the Avengers, and he finally understood why they all were so quiet. He realized that this was his home, too, and that these were his friends. No, he decided. They are my family. The rest of the group watched Thor intently as he looked from person to person. No one wanted to admit that they would be sad to see him leave for good, but they knew as well that they couldn't force him to stay. His real family was on Asgard and they didn't blame him for wanting to go back. He was really the only one who had any true family left to go back to. Thor finally shook his head with a laugh and a wide smile lit up his features.

"Of course I'm coming back. I must return to Asgard for just a brief period, but I assure you, as soon as my duties are done, I will return..." Thor looked at his family earnestly. "Home." He smiled even wider at the word. He liked the way it sounded. Everyone let out the breath that they were holding and immediately the atmosphere that filled the lab became more pleasurable. "I do have one question for you all."

They all exchanged quick glances.

"I have received permission to take a guest with me. Would anyone like to accompany me to Asgard?" Thor looked at his friends eagerly.

"Wait...someone will get to go with you to Asgard?" Bruce said, voicing the surprise of the entire group.

"Yes. It's quite beautiful there. You won't regret coming."

"Could you...give us a second to figure out who's going?" They all turned in, creating a circle to discuss.

"Well? Who's going?" Tony asked.

"Well, who wants to go?" Bruce looked around.

"I do, but I mean... I'm kind of needed here," Tony said, eyeing Bruce. They both knew perfectly well that they needed to get work done.

"You could go if you really wanted to, Stark," Bruce said, not wanting to completely put it out of the question. "Do either of you want to go?" He looked pointedly at Natasha and Clint.

"Well, I mean...yes. But, then again..." Clint leaned out from the circle to glance at Thor. He toyed with something on a nearby table. It fell over and Thor gasped, quickly righting it then taking a few steps back before anyone could see him. "I think I may pass."

"And as much as I like Thor..." Tasha trailed off. They all nodded in silence knowing how easily Thor could get on Natasha's nerves. Bruce made a 'I see your point' face.

"Alright, well then it's down to Tony and Steve." They all turned to look at Steve who immediately leaned back a bit not ready for the sudden attention.

"You wanna go?" Bruce asked.

"Well, I mean...sure...but if Tony really wants to go, I'll sit this one out..." he said, shrugging. He really did want to go, but it wasn't like him to just demand things. Plus, he knew that Tony wanted to go just as much as he did.

"It's okay, man. You take this one. I've got things to do here anyway," Tony said, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Have fun. Bring me back something, will ya?" Tony smiled and shook Steve's shoulder, making him smile, too.

"Alright, I'll get you something. Promise."

"Captain's gonna join you, Thor," Tony said coming out of the circle.

"Wonderful! You will love it, Rogers-Son!" Thor smiled as Steve walked toward him. "Heimdall!" Thor boomed.

"See you all on the flip-side!" Steve gave a wave. The whole room began to quake slightly and a tube of blue extended down to engulf the two in static. Steve looked around, alarmed at the sudden charge and he immediately felt and unseen force tugging him upward. He looked to Thor for some comfort and grasped his shoulder tightly. Thor wrapped his arm around Steve's shoulder and put a bracing hand on his chest. Steve squeezed his eyes shut as the pulling sensation became greater and they finally lifted from the lab floor. He clutched Thor's armor even tighter, not caring whether his super-strength would damage it.

It seemed like eternity to Steve before his feet touched solid ground again. To be entirely honest, he didn't even know he had reached their destination until Thor patted his shoulder comfortingly trying to coax him from his stiff position.

"Rogers-Son, we are here," Thor said, a smile evident in his voice. Steve cautiously opened one eye, then the other only to see Thor much closer than he'd imagined. He laughed a bit and moved to take Steve's hands and remove them from their vice grip on his clothing. Somehow, Steve's other hand had found a grip on the chest plate of his armor. Steve blushed a bit and relaxed, standing up straight. "I apologize. I forgot you have never traveled via bifrost before. I should have warned you; the first ride it a bit..."

"Intense? Yeah, a bit," Steve said through a smile. Thor turned his attention to a man standing on a raised structure in the center of the circular room. For the first time, Steve took in his surroundings. The room was beautiful, shimmering in the bright light of morning. Its golden walls and floor were created by what reminded Steve of wagon wheels and their spokes. The design was intricate and magnificent. The man in the center stood behind a small column from which he removed a sword. It sparked and flashed brightly as it smoothly slid against the casing. His eyes were golden and they shone with wisdom. Steve found himself captivated by the man as he fluidly moved to embrace the young god before him. They looked at each other a while when he finally spoke.

"Finally. Our prince returns home, if only for a little while." His voice rang in Steve's ears and he found himself hanging on the words, completely enthralled.

"Steve, I would like you to meet Heimdall. He is the gatekeeper. The greatest in all the nine realms. He sees everything," Thor said, smiling wide, clearly proud to finally be able to show his home off to someone. Steve was shaken from his mystified stupor and stepped forward to meet the Gatekeeper.

"Mmm..." Heimdall mused. "I've seen him before. Quite a strong one, no?"

"Yes, but it's all..." Steve regarded his muscular arms. "Scientifically modified," he concluded with a bit of distaste. Heimdall laughed, and it reverberated off the metallic walls creating a musical effect.

"No. I meant strong, here," he pressed a finger to Steve's chest right above his heart. He looked down, understanding what he meant. "Surely that's not scientifically modified."

Steve smiled and shook his head. "No, I suppose it isn't."

"Thor has found a good friend in you, no doubt."

"I have. He is a part of my Midgardian family," Thor said proudly. Steve looked at him, surprised by the god's words. Thor just smiled, to which Steve turned back to the Gatekeeper.

"And I have found a good friend in Thor, as well."

"Well, Heimdall, we shall have to continue on. I have much to show Rogers-Son and many people for him to meet. We shall meet again when we depart."

"Yes, of course," he bowed his head slightly to Thor and then again to Steve. "Welcome to Asgard."

"Thank you," Steve said, returning the bow. Thor had already begun walking toward the opening in the circular room.

"Are you ready to see Asgard?" Steve nodded excitedly as he came to stand next to Thor. The light was bright and he held up a hand to shield his eyes. Once they adjusted, his mouth fell open. Before him was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Buildings cascaded down mountainsides and lined the shore of a frothy, blue ocean. They all were made of gold and silver and glittered in the morning light. Steve's eyes flitted over the horizon, trying to take in every last inch and lock it in his memory. Nowhere on Earth had he seen such extravagant beauty. Structures floated lazily above the ground as if caught in an updraft of wind. In the center of the city, pipe-like beams rose to kiss the clouds. They were all golden, as well, and each level rose higher than the last creating a pyramid of sorts. Steve let out a low whistle. Thor looked to him, excitement lacing his words. "What do you think?"

"What do I...think?" Steve repeated. "What do I think? Geeze! I don't know what to think! It's...I don't think there's a word to describe this, Thor."

"Well..." Thor said, quietly, not sure if Steve's speechlessness was out of awe or disgust. "Do you like it?"

"Like it?" Steve turned to his friend, exasperated. "I love it. It's...It's...Gosh, it's the most magnificent thing I've ever seen." Thor smiled wide, glad to finally be able to show at least one of his friends the beauty of his world.

"Just wait," Thor said. He stepped out onto a crystalline platform that hummed briefly when his weight landed. It flashed different colors and Steve found himself trying to comprehend exactly what it was made up of.

"Thor...What is that?"

"The Bifrost." The word immediately clicked in Steve's memory. He remembered Thor telling them about it on countless occasions.

"This is the Bifrost?"

"Yes. What did you expect?"

"Well..." Steve thought about that for a moment. "I don't really know. Just...not this." He studied it closely, mesmerized by the intricate design that lined the surface and weaved into block itself. As he studied it closely, his eyes landed on a crack that stretched the width of the bridge. It zigzagged up and down in jagged points, as if once it was snapped in to. "What happened there?"

Thor followed Steve's extended finger to find the section he pointed to. He inhaled sharply and his expression darkened. "Betrayal."

Steve furrowed his brow as he tried to understand Thor's sudden mood change, but he decided it probably wasn't a story to get into now, so he let the cryptic answer drop. "So, is there a trick to this, or do I just jump on?" he said, trying to switch the subject. Thor looked back to his friend, expelling the thoughts of his brother.

"Just jump on," he said, finding himself amused by the human.

Alright..." Steve did as he was told and stepped onto the Bifrost. It hummed under his feet and the lights flashed around his shoes. They walked together and Thor told him how his father had summoned him home for a brief meeting. The contents of that meeting were secret, and Steve didn't poke at that subject. He'd come to his own conclusions from the stories and little knowledge they did have about him, that Odin was not a force to be reckoned with. Steve was completely content to accept that they would not meet, when Thor ended with, "He cannot wait to finally meet one of our group." Steve swallowed hard and immediately started to worry about his meeting. He'd never met someone of such a high power before and he didn't want to anger him. He barely liked being in the same room as Nick Fury when he was on his best behavior, let alone a King who could probably kill a human with no questions asked.

"You shall meet my friends, as well. You will like them, I am certain," Thor flashed another one of his trademark smiles. They continued walking, the hum of the Bifrost strangely comforting beneath both men's feet.


	5. Master of Walls

"You know, Tony? That was pretty nice."

"What?" Tony looked up from the holographic documents that floated in front of him.

"What you did for Steve. Letting him go with Thor," Bruce moved around his station. He spoke without looking up from his work.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know you've been wanting to go to Asgard ever since Thor came."

"Oh?" Tony pursed his lips. "And how do you know that?"

"Call it a hunch."

Tony and Bruce continued to work, each tapping screens and sending them flying all over the room. Bruce had come to like working in the labs at Stark Tower. They were private and the technology was unbelievable. Everything he needed was at his fingertips. Tony's robots made (almost) everything easier and he felt like he could do the job he was meant to do. He'd also come to enjoy working next to someone. Even when they didn't pass words between them for hours on end, it was always nice to have another body in the room. Understanding what he knew. Ready to help.

"I'm just saying it was nice, is all," Bruce said, reiterating his previous point. Tony made an incredulous noise, as if the action of him being nice was unfathomable, even to him. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"That noise you just made."

"What noise?"

"Tony, don't be that way."

"What way?"

"Okay, fine. You know what? I was just trying to compliment you, but whatever. Don't accept it." Bruce turned his full attention back to his work, ready to drop the conversation. "You seem to be in denial about a lot of things, lately," he added under his breath.

"What was that?" Tony said. He was almost certain he'd heard Bruce correctly.

"What was what?" Bruce said, mocking Tony's earlier tone.

"What'd you just say?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing, Tony."

"Yeah, _sure_ it was, Banner." Silence filled the lab once more and Tony tried to let Bruce's words drift from his mind, but every time tried to concentrate on the files or the contraption in front of him, questions plagued mind. He knew he wasn't going to be able to let this one go. "What did you say?" Tony tried once more.

Bruce dropped his tools to the table and looked up at him, removing his glasses from the bridge of his nose. "I said you seem to be in denial about a lot of things, lately."

Tony twisted his expression. "What's _that _supposed to mean?"

"It means that you seem to hide what you feel. And not like that's out of the ordinary for you, but you just seem to be doing it more and more. Especially since we all moved into the Tower."

Tony sighed. "Can't get anything past you, huh? What, did that radiation give you the power to sense feelings, too?"

It was Bruce's turn to sigh, now. He didn't want to get into a full analysis of the enigma that was Tony Stark, but it looked as if that's where the conversation was headed. "You have these walls. You never let anyone in them, and you never have had a problem keeping people out because you could always just push people away. Out of your life. But, now, you have people that are constantly in your space, and they aren't going away anytime soon, and you just can't deal with it. You can't let your walls down, and you don't want anyone inside. You can't let anyone see the real you, or care for someone for whatever reason you have. I know a shut-in when I see one, Tony. I'm the master of walls, if you haven't noticed."

There was a long pause. Both men looked at each other, trying to read the other's expression. Tony tried to keep his steely, but was finding it difficult for the first time in his life. Bruce had hit the nail on the head. It had always been about him. He was always the center and didn't have to worry about anyone else. If he wanted to pull away from someone, he could. No questions asked. Being Tony Stark was reason enough. Now he was part of a group, part of a team and it scared the living daylights out of him. Tony swallowed hard.

"You're right," he whispered. Bruce looked up from the small metal parts in his hands.

"What?"

"I _do_ have walls. I _don't_ want anyone in them. You're right." Tony looked away from Bruce's eyes, not willing to see his face. Bruce simply stared at the side of Tony's face, trying to figure out if he was being sarcastic or not. By the look on Tony's face, he could tell that he'd actually struck a nerve and a rather sensitive one, at that. He didn't want to push him any further, so he just nodded slowly.

"Okay," Bruce said, finally, and he turned back to the work in front of him. Tony did the same and they worked in each other's silent company. Tony worked his hands aimlessly over the parts in front of him, manipulating them to his will. He thought of his family, how broken it was and how much he resented from his childhood. He resented his father. He hated that he was never there and never seemed to take any interest in what he did. Nothing mattered to him but his work and if it was any different, he surely didn't show it. When he was a kid, he promised himself that he would never become like his father. He remembered when he sat alone in his bed, tucking himself in at night, that when and if he ever had a family, he would see to it that they came first. No matter what, he would be there for them, and listen to them whenever need be. If he had kids, they would always come first, before his work, before his name, before everything. He vowed he would redefine what it meant to be a Stark. No longer would the name carry the brand of cold, business-driven, work-related brilliance; it would represent a close, loving family. As he grew, that dream faded, and took a back-burner to his work. Only now, as he sat in the lab he designed himself, with a man that could probably be labeled as more of a father to him than his real one ever could've been, did he realize the irony of it. He finally understood why he was scared to allow the Avengers into his world. They were slowly becoming his new family, and he really had no idea what that meant. The last thing he wanted to do was lose another family, so he did what Starks to best: bury himself in his work and push everyone away.

"It's okay to care about someone, you" Bruce broke Tony's revelry. "It's okay to do something nice for them just because they're your friend. Friends are what help you get by, and they don't count when they go behind your walls, Tony. Remember that."

_A/N: Hey all! Sorry it took so long for me to update, I've just been out of all good inspiration and motivation. I've wanted to write, but had no good ideas. :P So, finally, I've produced this small snippet of Tony and Bruce. :D Yay! I think I have some ideas for the next chapter so that should be out soon. Thank you all for all the comments they are so very much appreciated!_

_On a different note…I got a tumblr! WHOO! My url is captain-leo (just add a period, tumblr, another period, and com) and I would be much obliged to you if you went and checked me out. I'll certainly return the favor and I hope to use it (eventually) as a place to alert followers of fic updates (as soon as they actually are…*ahem* known)._


	6. Prisoner

**A/N: Welcome to the chapter of feels. I hope you're in for a big one. Sorry it took so long for me to update this. I have been so busy now that school has started back into full swing and I have barely any time to myself. To add to that, I also have had ZERO inspiration as to where to take this story next. I've finally gotten back on track and hopefully I will be updating more. I do have a tumblr now its .com. If you feel inspired by my story and want to make some art or write another fanfiction **_**please **_**do so and either PM me here or send me a message on my tumblr (or my deviantart if you know it). Enjoy!**

Steve prided himself on his impeccable memory. He could remember dates, names and faces of just about anything. Real or not. The more recent, the more vividly he could recall it. Steve had been that way for as long as he could remember, and the serum, just like it had done to everything else, enhanced it. So, when he was told they were going to see Loki, he immediately recalled the images from the Battle of New York.

Sharp features twisted into expressions of cold arrogance. A confident walk, high head, shoulders back; the air of a king. Though Steve remembered his piercing blue eyes over everything else. They had unnerved him when they'd first met in Stuttgart. Although they danced with a manic fire behind them, he could not help but feel as though they were hiding something. It was as if the man before him had been just a mask, hiding the real person beneath.

Thor walked beside him as they descended the stone steps into the bowels of the palace. The temperature dropped significantly with each step and the entire atmosphere shifted. A shiver creeped down Steve's spine and he wrapped his arms around himself. He didn't like the vibe that surrounded this place. He felt as if he was walking right into his death. Thor took silent notice of his friend's unease. He knew the feeling well, and was trying to suppress the feeling of dread as he prepared himself for what he was about to see. Odin had told him that Loki was no longer what he used to be. What that meant, Thor didn't know entirely, but he'd seen the toll that Asgardian justice had taken on prisoners before. He could only imagine what Loki had been subjected to as the council debated his real punishment.

They arrived at the cell and stood unmoving. A guard stood outside silently watching the two. He waited for the command before opening the door. Steve looked to Thor, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Thor looked up and was met with a reassuring nod from the soldier before he entered.

The cell was even colder than the corridor outside. There was one dim light on a small table that was glad to have the help, however little, from the light in the corridor to dispel the darkness. A small cot was pushed into the furthest corner from the door and the table was beside it. Other than that, there was little else in the room besides a huddled form in the opposite corner. Wiry arms wrapped around sickly thin legs. A head covered in dull black hair rested against knobby knees and made no movement to look up.

"Loki…" Thor managed. Steve detected the break in his voice as the name fell into the darkness. The form shifted, a head lifting up and hollow eyes met tear-filled ones.

"Thor?" It was barely above an audible whisper. Loki moved again, wincing as he did so. He made an attempt to stand, but when he placed his weight on his feet, he pitched forward with a sharp inhale of pain. Thor was across the room in a flash and caught him in his arms. Tears flowed from his eyes as he looked at the broken man. All of the preparation he took before coming into the cell could not have prepared him for what was now before him. His brother was barely alive and the thought killed him.

"You…you came…" Loki rasped. His voice had obviously not been used in a long time.

"Of course I came. I would never leave you," Thor said, gently shifting Loki so that he could wrap him in an embrace.

"You're warm…" Loki managed. Thor thought it an odd thing to say, but then took notice of the ice cold skin of his brother's arms. Tremors shot through Loki, violently shaking his emaciated body.

"Loki…What have they done to you?" Thor said, gripping him tighter, although trying to be gentle.

"Nothing. That's the problem."

Steve watched as the two brothers held each other for dear life. He found it hard to believe that the hollow man before him was really the same man that had singlehandedly destroyed half of New York what seemed like a short time ago.

"We came to—" Thor began.

"We?"

"Yes, we," Thor said, sidestepping to reveal Steve. Loki immediately averted his eyes, slightly embarrassed of the thought of a man he'd made his enemy now saw him in his state, but not before Steve noticed a change of color. His eyes were no longer the intense blue that he remembered so vividly, but rather a dull green.

"Oh, I thought…" he took a breath and a look of complete sadness clouded his face. "Never mind."

"Well, we came to take you up."

"Up? Up where?"

"To the palace. The council has made their decision, Loki."

"Oh." Loki let his shoulders sag. He thought it humiliation enough the first time they paraded him around Asgard. When he first came home from Midgard, they bound him and forced him to walk through the palace to hear the council. However, it seemed everyone in Asgard had been notified of his arrival and were there to stare at the fallen prince. Some were quiet; some even looked upon him with pity while others shouted abuse. He knew he deserved it all. But now, after all this time in prison, to take him back up in the state he was in was just too much. To force him to face his father, who not once had came to see him, and his mother, who he could already assume had not been told a word about his current condition. Not to mention the faces of his city that would gawk at him as if he was some beast in a cage was something he wasn't sure he could do again. He almost wished he could stay in his cell. At least in there he wouldn't have to face the disappointment. He wouldn't have to see the pitying looks or ice cold stares.

"Come, brother," Thor shifted him so that Loki could place his feet on the ground. He did so, but the pain was almost unbearable. He gritted his teeth and sucked in a breath, trying to endure the throbbing sensation that shot up his legs. Thor leaned, taking all of Loki's weight.

"I…I can't…"Loki said helplessly. He looked to his brother, already exhausted from what little movement he had done. Steve took this as his cue to move to Loki's other side and wrapped his arm around his waist, taking some of the weight from Thor. Steve couldn't help but notice the protruding bones under his fingers and winced internally. The situation brought back memories of the war. He'd lost count of how many people, soldiers and civilians alike, he had carried out of prisons and battlefields like that.

OoOoO

By the time the three had made it up the stairs and into the daylight of Asgard, a large crowd of people had accumulated, waiting for them to emerge. There was an explosion of murmurs and looks of horror as they passed. Thor and Steve had to all but carry Loki down the stretch of golden stone. He would occasionally try and get his feet under himself so that they didn't have to support all his weight, but his strength was gone and he mostly let himself be carried along. He looked up at the faces that stared at him. The expression that he was met with told him all he needed to know. They all were stunned into silence to see their former price in his current state.

They finally made it to the front of the room where the entire council was seated. Odin was standing, his features clearly dismayed at the sight of his son. Another council member stood, in his booming voice addressed Steve and Thor.

"Let him go." His voice was unsympathetic.

"But, he can't…" Thor started in, but a hand came up and the council member spoke again.

"Drop him where he is." Thor looked helplessly to his father, then to Steve. The two waited for Loki to make one last attempt to keep his legs beneath him. They both let go and moved aside into the crowd. Loki lasted for a whole of three seconds on his own, but he was too weak. With a cry of pain he dropped to his knees. The crowd gasped and Thor moved to help him.

"Leave him, Odin-son!" the same councilman shouted above the low din that echoed in the metallic room. Thor faltered and stepped back, knowing it was of no use to either of them if he defied the council's orders.

Loki breathed heavily and looked up to the table of elders.

"Loki Laufeyson, you have been brought before the council to hear their decision regarding the events past, to which I am sure we are all already well aware of." The council man began a long tirade of laws broken, and the usual punishments that went with each. Loki took this time to look around at the faces nearest to him. On his left, he saw Sif staring at him, with what he could've sworn were tears in her eyes. To her left, was his mother, Frigga. She clung to Sif's arm as tears freely flowed across her cheeks. Loki's felt his heart drop into his stomach at the sight of his mother. All he wanted was to go to her. To hug her and tell her it would be alright, and have her do the same for him. Even if what they said to each other were all lies. He would've gladly taken any punishment the council could've come up with if it meant he could at least say a real goodbye to his mother.

"Loki Laufeson, do you avow these deeds as your own?"

"Yes," he said quietly.

"Do you have anything to say to attempt to sway the council's decision?" Loki thought long and hard about something to say. He realized what he said could be a matter of life and death for him, but he also recalled enough trials to know that what the prisoner said rarely ever changed the council's mind.

"It was not me." Another eruption of murmurs spread through the crowd. The council member stood and peered over the table at Loki.

"You expect us to believe that those deeds were not committed by you? Once you have already accepted them as your own? You are a foolish boy."

"No, councilman, I do not expect anything from you except to have an open mind to my words."

"Well, then. Speak."

"I do avow the deeds. I do accept them as my own. There is no way of telling you that it was not my doing. There are enough witnesses to testify to that," Loki said with a quick glance in Thor and Steve's direction. "What I do mean, though, is that I had no control over what I was doing. It was as if I watched idly as someone- something- else wreaked the havoc on Midgard."

"That is absolutely preposterous."

"Is it? I, quite frankly, remember a time when you thought turning wine into snakes was absolutely preposterous as well."

"Watch your tongue, _boy_."

"So, what I mean to say is that if I had no control as to what commands were given from my own mouth, how is it that I should be to blame for all this?"

"Do not use your silver tongue on me."

"Last I recall, I was not able to," Loki said, moving to reveal gold plates painfully bolted onto each of his forearms. "But does that mean my words are leaving an impression?" The room was stuck in a deafening silence. The council leaned together and whispered words flew across the table. After an agonizingly slow minute, they returned their attention to Loki.

"That might be all well and good, Loki Laufeyson, but without some form of proof of this, so called, _possession_, we cannot take this as a valid point of argument," the councilman spoke. His voice was filled with arrogance and condescension. Loki's head fell, knowing that there was no way his point could be proved.

The room was silent once again. Loki waited for the words of punishment.

"Is there _nothing_ you can say to defend yourself, Silver Tongue?"

"No…" Loki was cut off by a voice he didn't expect to hear.

"I can." Steve's voice echoed through the hall. He took a step forward so that he could be seen by the council.

"_You_? Who are you?" The councilman's voice was tinged with rage.

"Steve Rogers…of Earth- er…well, Midgard," he stammered.

"A Midgardian? What could you possibly have to say in _defense_ of this foul creature?"

"Well, I am one of the Avengers. I fought alongside Thor in the Battle of New York."

"New York?"

"Yes…uh…My home, actually."

"Continue…" Steve looked around anxiously as the entire room, Loki included, had fixed their stares on him.

"Well, I first met Loki in a place called Stuttgart, Germany. He was…uh…not being so nice to the people there, so I was called in to stop him. When I first met him face to face, I took great notice of his…uh…bright blue eyes," Steve trailed off, realizing how ridiculous this all sounded out loud. It had made so much more sense to him in his head.

After a silent moment, the councilman burst out laughing and was quickly joined by the others.

"So, you mean to base your defense off an infatuation with his _eyes_?" he said through his laughter.

"Enough!" Odin was on his feet, his hands up to silence the laughter. "Let the Midgardian finish." He gestured to Steve with a small knowing smile. Steve swallowed hard and continued.

"Well, what I meant to say is that now his eyes are most definitely green."

"Rogers-Son, you do realize that your theory makes no sense whatsoever, correct?"

"Let me explain," Steve said, desperate to make them see his reason. "When he was on Earth, Loki had this scepter. He would use it to…well…I don't know how to explain it really. He kind of…" Steve made different hand motions to attempt to explain his point. "Tapped their heart with it and…took over their mind. But when he did, the person's eyes would change color. No matter what color they were originally, they changed to blue." The council eyed each other, obviously not expecting this seemingly crazy theory to actually make sense.

"It happened to one of our own. Agent Clint Barton is his name. He's fine now. After…uh…Cognitive Recalibration," Steve said, hoping he had gotten Natasha's words right.

"Is this truth, Laufeyson?"

"Yes. Steve Rogers speaks the truth," Loki said quickly.

"Let the council share a word." As they discussed, Steve looked to Thor for some sort of support. Thor nodded, a small smile playing on his features. He looked around the room at the others all around him. A woman stood on the other side with tears streaming down her face. Her gowns were embroidered with gold and exquisitely made. She seemed to be staring straight at him. He offered a small smile and a shrug that said _"I tried."_ She smiled through her tears and nodded. She reminded him of his mother and how one nod could say a million reassurances. Then he looked down to find Loki looking at him. It seemed as if he could ask a thousand questions, but instead smiled.

"Thank you," he said softly. "You didn't have to do this." Steve was about to protest, but the council retook their seats and one member addressed the entire place.

"The punishment the council had agreed upon for the prisoner, Loki Laufeyson, was the full sentence of eternal life as well as daily torture and torturous conditions. But, the light of the new information brought by the prisoner himself and upheld by the testimony of Steve Rogers-Son of Midgard, we have rethought our original sentence. We have now agreed upon freeing the prisoner into the care of his brother, Thor Odinson, granted that they return to Midgard and make that their place of residence. He is allowed to come to Asgard, but not without the consent of the All-Father and accompanied by Thor. Do you accept these terms by which we have sentenced you?"

"Yes. I agree," Loki said relief apparent in his voice. "I agree."

"Do you agree to the terms to which you have been included?"

"Yes. I agree," Thor said, obviously trying to keep his voice steady.

"This trial is hereby adjourned."

As soon as the trial was dismissed, Frigga rushed to her son.

"Loki!"She knelt beside him and gathered him into her arms. "Loki…" Her tears wet his forehead, but he could care less. He sobbed into his mother's shoulder, pressing his face into her neck. He let her rock him back and forth, hushing him soothingly, just like she used to do when he was a child. Sif ran to hug Thor who wiped a tear from his own cheek. Thor saw Steve and reached over, pulling him into the embrace as well. No one cared that practically all of Asgard was watching.

Odin came down from his place on the council and placed a hand on Frigga's shoulder. He knelt down to be face to face with Loki. Loki pulled away and looked into his father's eyes.

"My son…" he said, gently placing a hand on his cheek. Loki's breath caught in his throat.

"I'm so sorry, Father," he said, beginning to cry once more. Frigga pulled him close again, just happy to hold her son in her arms again.

**A/N 2: Well, now that you've reached the end, I'll ask you to review and comment on how you liked this one. I had been tossing the idea of bringing Loki into the Avengers Tower for a while, but I wanted a good reason, not just "Oh, hey, Loki's a good guy now" kinda thing. I read about this theory (the whole eye color thing, yaddy yadda) and was like…THIS. YES. PERFECT. So I'll be adding Loki in and hopefully everyone is okay with that. If not…well…Sorry. (:**


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